


And Your Heart Is True

by lunarknightz



Category: Cinderella (2015), Tangled (2010)
Genre: Crossover, Disney Multiverse, F/M, Gen, Post-Movie(s)
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-12-17
Updated: 2017-12-17
Packaged: 2019-02-15 20:25:20
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,633
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13038765
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/lunarknightz/pseuds/lunarknightz
Summary: Now married and crowned Queen; Ella faces her first royal ball; finding success and a kindred spirit in the most unexpected of places.





	And Your Heart Is True

**Author's Note:**

  * For [mihrsuri](https://archiveofourown.org/users/mihrsuri/gifts).



“My goodness!” Ella exclaimed, before taking a deep breath and closing her eyes, all while stepping back from the door. This anteroom felt like a sanctuary in a whirlwind of madness. The ballroom just outside was simply packed with men in fine suits and women in even finer dresses. Going into the ballroom and being the center of attention would be a challenge, but it was nothing that she couldn’t handle. Today was her first Royal Ball since her marriage and ascent to the throne, with dignitaries and royals from countries far and near in attendance. It wasn’t her first ball, and Ella was quite certain that she would not need to flee at the stroke of midnight; so truly in that aspect alone, it would be a success. She had a beautiful dress; made by the finest dressmakers in the kingdoms, in a gossamer pink color that reminded Ella of her mother’s dress her stepfamily had destroyed; and shoes that had an ankle strap so they would not leave her feet (something that Kit had requested; Ella hadn’t been sure if he was joking or not). 

The tiara on her head still felt foreign and strange. Three months had passed since her marriage and coronation, and Ella still felt awkward. The new Queen was smart and caught on quickly, but she’d missed out on the fine finishes of table manners and courtly etiquette thanks to her stepmother’s treatment. She was comfortable in the palace, and Ella was surely flourishing with Kit by her side (even if at times, she felt more at home talking with the housekeeping and kitchen staff than she did her ladies in waiting.) Today felt like a critical test, and she did not want to fail.

“Have courage” she said softly, echoing her mother’s words that had gotten her through years of toil under the hands of her cruel stepmother.

“And be kind.” Kit said, coming up beside her and squeezing her hand gently. “Don’t be nervous, love. You’re going to blow them away.”

She smiled weakly, not completely convinced by his words. “There are a _lot_ of people out there.”

Kit whistled. “The guest list was quite extensive. It’s been a while since our kingdom has had reason to celebrate. I do assure you, having grown up around this motley group of blue bloods that the majority of them are in fact, delightful. Except for the Duke of Weslteon….he’s a bit….eccentric, and come to think about it, a little scary. Steer clear of him.”

“Weselton? Isn’t that the country that had the fallout with Arendelle?” Memories of her crash course in Royal History 101 ran through Ella’s head, as she recalled a lesson about the country to the kingdom’s North. “Do you think that they’ll go to war?”

“I haven’t heard any imminent threats of war, but the North remembers.” Kit shrugged. “But enough about that. Tonight is a celebration, a happy night. I want everyone in attendance to meet the fairest woman of them all.”

“I thought that’s what they called the Queen of Misthaven.” Ella smiled with a giggle in spite of her nerves.

“Maybe...but in my eyes, the fairest of them all will always be you.” Kit said, drawing her into his arms and embracing her. He kissed her lips deeply, sighing in pleasure,and wanting nothing more than to lose himself in her embrace. He pulled away as propriety won against his passion, stepping back to keep her at arm’s length. “If I don’t let you go now,” Kit said with an amused smile, “I’ll miss my own party.”

“Oh, that would be a shame.” She said with a wink. "We could have our _own_ party." 

“The best day of my life was when I met you. How can I deny others the opportunity to meet you?”

Kit put his arm through hers, and escorted her to the ball. 

 

______________________

 

Ella was a success. She smiled at the right people, and laughed at their jokes, and everyone at the ball fell in love with her, both as Kit and her country had. The night of Ella’s first royal ball cemented alliances and started several friendships. The truest friendship made that night did not come about due to Ella’s courtly manners or royal education; but came about simply because Ella was kind.

Feeling a bit giddy after dancing several dances with Kit and sampling delicious champagne, Ella excused herself and went out onto the balcony to get a bit of fresh air. Feeling more than a bit of relief at how the night was going, Ella swung her arms out into the night sky, twirling with a happy sigh. Ella did not realize as she twirled that another person was on the balcony, and bumped into them in a most decidedly unroyal manner.

“My goodness!” she exclaimed. “I’m so sorry. I didn’t realize anyone else was here.”“Your highness.” One of the guests, a young woman with brown hair cut shorter than her shoulders and large green eyes exclaimed, “This is your celebration. The fault is mine!”

“You’re the Princess of Corona.” Ella recalled from their earlier introduction.

“I am.” She nodded. “Rapunzel. Or more likely to be known, the guest who is making a perfect fool of herself at your beautiful ball, and who will most likely go down in history as ruining it.”

“I highly doubt that.” Ella said with a frown. She racked her brain, trying to remember more about the Country of Corona from her royal lessons. The lost princess of Corona, she recalled, had only recently been returned to the kingdom after being kidnapped as a toddler. Though born to royalty, she had been no more raised for the royal life than Ella herself had. 

What Rapunzel needed, Ella realized, was a friend. 

“You’re too kind. I say the wrong things, and I don’t know the steps to any of the dances, and though I love him so, Eugene isn’t really that much help with navigating all of this, and I’m a disaster.” Rapunzel sighed.

“Hardly.” Ella said with a grin. “If they are looking for anyone to make an utter mess of the event, they are looking at me. A girl who was raised to be a scullery maid that has suddenly catapulted to the throne. People will forgive you a faux pas or two, you’re a princess by blood. If I make a mistake, it’s my husband that looks like the fool. And my country. For picking me, for choosing me, for loving me.”

“They all love you, your highness.”

“Call me Ella, please.” She said with a smile. 

“Ella.” Rapunzel said softly. “You were a maid?”

“More or less, as far as my stepmother was concerned. My father had a minor title and we had a small estate. My mother was the kindest and most beautiful woman I’d ever seen, though she her parents were just shepherds. She died when I was young, and my father remarried, only to die too young himself, leaving me in the hands of a woman who hated me for simply existing. I was little more than her slave, her cook, seamstress, her maid.”

“That’s horrible!” Rapunzel exclaimed, feeling inspired to share her story. “She told me that she was my mother, the woman who took me. Told me that the outside world was filled with monsters and thugs and ruffians, and locked me up in a tower. I thought that she loved me, but she loved what I could do for her, the magic that came from my hair. I kept her young, kept giving her life. While she stole mine.”

Ella was wowed by her story. It was much more than what she had been told. “It seems like both of us have had our fates completely turn around, from things we didn’t deserve, to, I know in my case, and I hope for yours, happiness?”

Rapunzel nodded. “I found my new dream. He used to be a thief, but he’s the kindest and most noble man I’ve ever met.”

Ella grinned. “Of all the the things that I expected to happen tonight, I truly didn’t expect to find another kindred spirit, Rapunzel. I thought that finding Kit was amazing, and it is, but other than him, my best friends have been mice.”

“My best friend is a lizard. Other than Eugene, I mean. Pascal’s a lizard.” Rapunzel giggled, forgetting herself and the faux pas she had committed earlier at the ball.

Ella grinned. “So what do you say that we go back to the ball? So what if we use the wrong silverware or say the wrong thing. We are royalty, and if others don’t like us, we could just…throw them in the dungeon.” She giggled.

“Off with their heads.” Rapunzel nodded. “Or sentence them to a life without chocolate.”

“Or the worst punishment of all,” Ella said with a grin, “We can enjoy ourselves in spite of them and have a truly marvelous and wonderful time.”

“That sounds amazing.” Rapunzel grinned, her earlier worries having faded away. 

The Queen and the Princess left the balcony and rejoined the ball; having sown the seeds of friendship that would never disappear. A king and a reformed thief stood just off of the dance floor, having made each other’s acquaintance, ready to welcome the ladies back to the ball.

Records of what exactly happened that night have been lost to time. The legacy remains that Queen Ella and King Kit were rulers who cared deeply for their subjects and each other, and their rule was one of prosperity. The Lost Princess of Corona returned and grew into one of the greatest monarchs that Corona has ever known, and the alliance between the countries still exists today.

**Author's Note:**

> Hope that you enjoyed the story as much as I enjoyed writing it for you! Happy Holidays & Merry Yuletide!


End file.
